Saturday, December 1, 2012

Which Wine To Serve At Holiday Parties

Well with December
finally here it must be time for holiday parties! And while parties are great
fun, they can also be stressful if you’re picking the wine.

Fear not, your Neighborhood Wine Porch Party blogger is here to help.

There are several
things to consider when picking your party wine and the first is what type of
party are you having…dinner, cocktail, small, large or in-between. No matter, there is no reason to kill your budget to have a great wine for your party
guests.

One good rule for parties is to serve
a nice wine first when everyone can still enjoy the wine's true flavor.

Then switch
to a less expensive but good second wine as the party picks up. And if it’s a big
party, it’s also safe to just start off with that “second” wine because no one will
really notice at a large party.

There are a
lot of good wines under $15 and The Dallas
Morning News wine panel recently found 10 really good second bottles of
wine of which four were under $7.00. And
Stoney’s, one of my favorite wine bar/shops recently had a holiday wine tasting
and three of his wines were under $14 with bigger discounts if you bought a
case. And all the wines were really nice.

So shop around for your wines,
especially if you’re having a big party, because prices can really vary by
store. But good wines are out there to meet your taste and budget.

Now what
types of wine should you get? That’s puts us back to what type of Party are you
having? If your party food centers around turkey, ham and casseroles. then what
I wrote for Holiday dinners still holds true. Sparkling wines and rosés are always good, as
are medium bodied wines that are well balanced and low in tannins and acidity.
You’re looking for wines that won’t be overpowered by the heavy foods and won’t
overpower your green bean casserole and the other lighter foods.

Fruitier wines with lower alcohol will go well with the
turkey and everything else you’re serving at the party.

Rieslings, Gewurztraminer,
Pinot Grigio and Viognier are all good white wine choices. And Pinot Noir,
Syrah, Beaujolais Nouveau, Zinfandels and Grenache are the reds for parties
with traditional holiday foods.

Now if that party of yours is
just hors d’ouerves and other munchies, then go with varietals that everyone knows
and likes, especially lighter fruity wines.

For white you might go with a lighter chardonnay, especially the non-oaked ones,
Pinot Grigio or even a crisp and fruity non grassy Sauvignon Blanc. And from a
red standpoint go with lighter Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot or Syrah.

Remember, a party will have
friends with different tastes in wine, so have both red and white wines and it’s never bad to have a variety of wines,
a kind of wine buffet to go with your food buffet!

Your
holiday party is about friendship and celebrating the season with the ones you
love so don’t break your budget on the wine and always buy party wines with
lower alcohol levels. You want your guests to have fun and be safe!

Have A Very
Merry Christmas And A Great Holiday Party!

Cheers!!

Harold

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About Me

I do not consider myself a wine expert. Rather wine has become a hobby; it’s an adventure that my wife and I can enjoy together. Since 2001 we have gone to well over 150 California wineries, and visited over half of the Texas wineries. We have also visited wineries in Virginia, Kansas, Missouri, Arkansas, Georgia, North Carolina and Kentucky.
During our wine trips we have had remarkable tours of wineries, some were formal tours, but most were spur of the moment given by wine makers and winery owners. And we have sampled a lot of wine taken straight from the stainless steel containers and wine barrels.
Along the way we have met some really great people, and we have had some great wines. We have had a lot of fun learning about wine, and through this blog I hope to share that fun and what little knowledge I have gained. But most of all I hope to help you have fun exploring wine and making it your adventure.
Cheers!
Harold